Today after a short run with Lola along the beach, we had breakfast and hit the road. We were destined for the metropolis of Oristano which promised Motorhome service point, supermarkets (open on Sundays!) and petrol stations with LPG.
We passed Stagno di Cabras, apparently one of Europe’s largest pond at 2200 hectares. Not sure what makes it a very large pond rather than a lake, but it is a great nature reserve.
It was the second attempt for a petrol station with working LPG pump, more Italian vocabulary learnt – guasto (broken down). We have found petrol stations here are two extremes – completely unmanned with card machines or fully serviced with someone to fill up for you. Sometimes petrol stations are not keen to fill LPG refillable cylinders rather than a vehicle tanks. However, the lovely guy who we think was at least 80 which filled ours did not seem to mind at all. He was super friendly even though my basic Duolingo training did not stretch to a full conversation. He wished us a good holiday as we went on our way (I think!).
So black tanks emptied, LPG filled, fresh supplies refreshed we were back on the road to another beach spot. The only think was we now had empty stomachs. We are still keen to find a good Italian pizza, I find Luigi’s Pizzeria on the way in Marrubiu and we decide to stop off. It is a small local inland town well off the tourist trail and all the diners seem to know each other as they arrive. Sadly, once more, pizzas are only available in the evening. We have a starter and first course only including meat platter, homemade prawn tagliatelle and a cuttlefish ink risotto with octopus. Very nice.
We leave the main road to a very windy road to the coast and over the hills. The roads here though are definitely the worse we have experienced, including an almost kerb like bump at the base of a bridge completely unmarked. 😩
There is again the occasional small farm between small villages but otherwise completely unpopulated. This seems to have a great impact on the bird life. We have seen lots of kestrels and a few sparrow hawks. We even had a little black and white bird who tapped at our windscreen every morning. Today we saw the biggest flock of starlings we had ever seen which at one point mobbed the road ahead of us as we approached.
Finally we make it through a small village, which sadly seems all but deserted with lots of shuttered windows, probably holiday homes. Using our 4×4 we were able to take a track to a park up right by the beach. There is just us down here, plus one normal camper van at the top of the slope.
We have fabulous uninterrupted views. We get the chairs out and enjoy a beer whilst the dogs explore. unbelieveably again we have a full 4G signal from an antennae on the hillside behind so we also get to watch Leicester v London Irish. Result 🏉 😁
In for a Penney 